PEKIN — They knew him only by the name of Mud, but the two men apparently trusted him enough to accept his offer to drive them home from an East Peoria store earlier this month.

That ride — or whatever purpose prompted the men to enter his car — never came about. Instead, Seanquarius Ewing turned to them with a handgun pointed at their faces and said, “Give me everything,” according to armed robbery charges filed against him in Tazewell County Circuit Court.

Ewing, 19, of Peoria could face more than the 30-year maximum prison term for his alleged armed robbery if the charges are enhanced by a state law that carries additional punishment for crimes committed with firearms.

The two men wasted no time calling police, the affidavit stated, and Ewing was arrested before he left the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter where the alleged robbery took place Feb. 6. He was charged the next day and has remained in custody since then on $250,000 bond pending a preliminary hearing March 6.

The two men said “Mud” approached them as they left the store and offered them a ride. When they arrived at his SUV, the men got in the back seat while Ewing sat in the front passenger seat, the affidavit stated.

They spoke for about a minute before Ewing opened up the vehicle’s glove compartment, pulled out a handgun and turned to face them with his demand, the affidavit stated. One man handed over about $250, and the other gave him a $20 bill.

Ewing checked their pockets for any money they were holding back before he put the gun back in the glove box, got out and opened the back door to let the men out, warning them not to call police, the affidavit stated.

Within minutes, police found the men at a nearby gas station and heard their report of the crime. Officers found the SUV still parked in the lot, established a perimeter around the store and waited for Ewing, who had entered the store, to come back out.

When he entered his vehicle, officers closed in and arrested him without incident. They found the weapon under the passenger seat and $262 in cash on the seat, the affidavit stated.

Ewing said the weapon was his and admitted to robbing the two men, the affidavit stated.

He also is charged with possession of a weapon as a felon. Ewing was sentenced to three years in prison in Peoria County two years ago for unlawful use of a vehicle as a weapon, according to court records.